And then I got the second surprise that evening, for the landlord turned to me and said, 'Just down the road, at Cripples' Ease.'
'Cripples' Ease,' I echoed.
He laughed. 'Yes,' he said. 'Queer sort o' name, eh? Used to be a pub. That was before my time when everybody round here worked at the Botallack. Then it came into Manack's possession and the licence was allowed to lapse.'
'When was that?' I asked.
'Oh, let me see. Just after the first war it would be. There was some tale that he got it from the woman who kept house for him, the same that went mad an' walked over the cliff. But then, 'cos 'e's reck'ned a bit daft, there's all sorts of stories about him. Can't believe 'alf o' what you're toald in a village laike this.' He grinned. 'Leastways, 'e's the one man that believes there's tin down in Wheal Garth and tryin' to get it. He and 'is son — though what 'is son knows about mining I don't know. They employs a couple o' men down there — furriners, they are, an' we don't see much o' them. Seems they're more like quarry men than miners. About all they do is cut granite slabs for kerb stones and things. Lorries come down from Bristol, sometimes Lunnon even, about once a week.' He shook his head. 'Old Manack'll never do no good with that mine, I'm thinking.'
'Whereabouts is Cripples' Ease?' I asked.
He looked at me sharply. 'Just down the road,' he said vaguely. 'Why?'
I hesitated. Then I said, 'I've come here to see Captain Manack.' I had the feeling he was eyeing me closely.
'Thee don't want to be going down to Cripples' Ease,' put in the old man with the accordion. 'Leastways not this time o' night. T'edn't a very friendly place.' He smiled, showing his gums. He did it without removing the clay pipe. 'It's the old man. Daft, that's what I say 'e is. 'E were all right until his wife had that assident.'
'What happened?' I asked.